Oranges anybody?

Remember all those green oranges I showed you about a month ago on our orange trees? Well they have been growing and ripening more and more so I have been doing my best to save them from the cool temps that we have been having.


I have been covering them with about everything I have to cover with for a couple weeks. Thursday evening the newscasters told everyone it was going to get “real cold” and stay that way for several days. Friday morning it got down to 27*, but only for a couple hours.  The weather people said that was just a sample of what was coming and if we had any fruit that we wanted to save we better “pick it”.


So that afternoon I uncovered the trees and asked Ms. Pat if she would help me pick oranges. So we picked and we picked. We left about 1/2 of them as they were some still a little green and we had more than we would ever need.


As you can see we picked two big boxes. Some of them are a tad green and a little small yet but you know what, they are delicious!! They are "juice" oranges and really sweet.  They have a few seeds in them but who cares.  Whether the ones we left on the trees will survive or not, we will just have to wait and see.  I know I could put light bulbs under the covers but we just covered them all back up the way they were.  We'll take our chances and let Mother Nature do as she wishes.  We have plenty of ORANGES, so if you could use a few, come and get ‘em.

Lucky we picked what we did, when we did, because Saturday morning it got down to 27* and stayed that way for quite a while. Then last night (Sat. night) by 9:00 pm it was already down to 34* and this morning as I type this it is 23* and going down. They say this is the longest cold spell Arizona has had for years and years and possibly a new record.

When we got out to the Pistol Range yesterday morning at 8:30, it was still in the  low 30’s and we all had LOTS of clothes on. But it was our monthly steel shoot and we didn’t want to miss it. Shooting steel is hard and real good practice.  You really have to take a good aim. Aiming while you are shivering makes it extra hard but everybody was at the same disadvantage so it was a challenge. We managed to fire off just over 100 rounds each and were all done with all the different scenarios by 11:30.  As we headed home, we joked at how good the electric "Seat Heaters" in our Silverado felt.

Ms. Pat had a hair appointment after lunch and I had my usual appointment with TWO PISTOLS so. I cleaned guns!    Now, when I get back from Church today, I’m going to load some more ammo while Ms. Pat goes to the clubhouse and teaches her dance class.

It's still a busy place around here but I’m ready for winter to get over. Yep, I’m a yearnin' (dreaming) for those 55* mornings and 75* days.  Oh Boy, will I ever appreciate them!!

It was a GREAT WEEK!!!!

Thanks for stopping by and ya'll stay warm, ya' hear?

Mike

PS:  Some of you asked for the Shrimp and Corn recipe.  So I asked Ms Pat to put it in here.  It tastes REAL GOOD on these really cool days.

*******************

Shrimp and Corn Soup

Sauté green onions (1 batch)

2 cans cream of shrimp

2 cans cream of potato

2 cans cream of chicken

2 lbs small shrimp

1 small bag of frozen corn (I use the white corn)  (You can use canned corn but I prefer frozen.)

1 stick of butter

1 cup milk

1 pint Half and Half

Tony's Creole Seasoning (it's spicy)

Sauté onions in 1/2 stick butter

Add other ingredients

Sauté shrimp in 1/2 stick butter in another pan

Add sautéed Shrimp to the pot of other ingredients.

Add Tony's to taste (Mike likes it spicy so I keep adding until it tastes just right.)

 

Serve with hot, fresh baked bread.

NOTE:  I cut this recipe in half unless I'm having company. It is still enough for a couple of meals for Mike and I.  You really need the Tony's Creole Seasoning to make it taste right.  Gina gave me a big container of it when we were in Louisiana because it's hard to find out West.

*********************

(thanks Gina)

This Blog is Published every Sunday and Wednesday..